The Big Chill (15th Anniversary Collector's Edition)

The Big Chill (15th Anniversary Collector's Edition)
by Lawrence Kasdan

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DVD Reviews of The Big Chill (15th Anniversary Collector's Edition)

DVD Review: Good music, VERY depressing movie w/ scattered stories
Summary: 1 Stars

I was expecting, as it says on the back cover, a movie that was "funny and ferociously smart" (quote from Richard Corliss, Time.)

A small group of college friends of the deceased are brought back together, after a number of years of being out of college, by the suicide of a friend. I can say that the way the people acted was a bit weird, but then there is always an air of akward energy at any fuernal.

They spend a week-end at a friends, and as they have gone on with their lives, and a story line starts to develop along the lines of "why did our friend commit suicide?" which unfortunately is never developed (nor are any of the other stories.)

Although the the favorite music of someone who's passed is familiar (as this is custom to many people at funerals) and the Rolling Stones, "Can't Always Get What You Want" fits the entire movie (and what I was feeling about the movie, as I received it as a gift!), that is likely the most realistic part. The deceased prolly never got what he wanted or needed, nor did anyone else in the movie! Like I said, depressing!

A grouping of great actors, a pretty good idea, but other than the music, the movie is simply depressing. How many people find a trip to a funeral (or the aftermath) 'fun' or 'funny?' (I do recall some movie that included a funeral, but this certainly wasn't it!)

I'm sure for those who liked Motown music from the late 60's/early 70's, the soundtrack might be a good choice.

There isn't much to say about the story, as there isn't much of a story. man takes his life, friends come to a funeral, and have a week-end together and they all seem pretty unhappy with their lives as well.

While there is a need for coming-of-age ceremony is our society, and the movie (seemingly without the knowledge of the directors, writers or actors) seems to make that obvious, there really isn't much of a story at all... there IS a mish-mash of people thrown together by the funeral, and their reminising about their 'old times' (but that isn't really developed in the movie either!) and about being lost and unhappy themselves.

The uncomfortableness of the situation surronding their getting together for the funeral is felt and is depressing, but then the story sprials out into the mish-mash, and this part of the story gets lost as well.

A lot of good ideas thrown together, but none really developed.

Yes, I cried, and it made me uncomfortable as I cringed with the actors/actresses as they were akward at the beginning at the funeral, but after that the stories that were being developed are lost, and you have to wonder what happened to them!?!

There could have been about 3-4 great movies made with the ideas, and the ideas developed fully. Instead, this movie hacks them into bits, then putting together like making an awesome dinner, then deciding to add all the ingredients from all the parts of the dinner into one bowl and making a disappointing mess.

I can totally see why this movie was turned down by so many studios (according to the director/writer in the additional features section) and why those people didn't 'get it.' I don't either, and I am from that generation, DID go to college , and DID experience not only one suicide, but several.

Funny? I felt sad that the suicide parts were lost, along with every other story that starts in this movie (then disappears into oblivian.) I tried watching it again with a friend (from college mind you - thinking the suicide thing might be a little too close to home for me,as well as watching it during the holidays) and he thought it was depressing as well (and he didn't know the people I knew that had really committed suicide - I thought it was just me.)

The part that is apparently supposed to get across that this guy (who you never see) who commits suicide did so as a result of his disappointment in himself is never developed (this idea was explained in the documentary, but the movie never gets it across), and why he actually did it, no one really seems to care, other than some idol curiosity - hardly what anyone really does in real life.

The music and the cars are the best parts of the movie. Other than this, it's a total waste. I never heard about his movie when it came out, but then I was busy working and raising kids like most of us in this generation, in the early 1980's!

If you like laughing at tragety in people's lives, and/or were an raging bully with nothing better to do and still carry that behavoir, I can see why you'd like it. (And PLEASE get some help!)

If this movie serves any purpose at all, it reminds us of those people who were hurtful/abusive towards ourselves and others in a deep, lasting way. (perhaps another reason why I found it so depressing, as it was the very people like this that lead to a couple of the suicides of those I knew, and several attempted suicides of others.)

If you like this movie, you might ask yourself why? What is it one likes & enjoys about watching personal pain and tragety of others? And you might go see a psychoanalist or psychiatrist, as you might just need some serious help, and may be hurting those around you without even realizing it.

Description of The Big Chill (15th Anniversary Collector's Edition)